“On three, gather your magic and shoot out as much as possible—a giant ball of it,” he said, and I nodded. “One, two, THREE!”
Heat seared through my veins, and I pushed out my magic in a single blow. The flames blasted out in a ball of bright light, like an exploding sun.
Another squawk, and the bird monster thudded to the ground at the same time as my magic fizzled out.
I sucked in a long, painful breath and sank down onto the sand. Exhaustion hit me like a train. It was like my magic was a well, and there was nothing left inside.
Ethan knelt down and took my hands. Sparks flew over my skin where he was touching me. “We did it,” he said. “You’re amazing.”
Electricity buzzed through the air so intensely that I couldn’t focus enough to speak.
He moved closer and rubbed circles on my palms. Embers glowed in his hazel eyes, like they were reflecting fire.
Footsteps pounded on the sand, and he yanked his hands out of mine as Mira and Mom ran toward us. He stood up, and Mira wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
Sharp, hollow pain exploded in my chest.
Mom cleared her throat, and Mira pulled away, her cheeks flushed red.
I glanced over at Sasha. She’d turned her back to Kelly and was sitting in the sand, focused on something in front of her.
The charred remains of the bird-like monster lay a few meters away, right where the bonfire had been. It was huge—the size of an SUV—and its features were barely recognizable under its cracked, blackened skin.
“What was that thing?” I turned to Ethan, since he obviously knew more than he’d previously let on.
“A griffin,” he said.
“A what?” Mira’s eyes were as large as saucers.
“I’ll tell you everything once we’re back at my house,” he said. “My car’s parked at the top of the cliffs. Let’s go.”
My mom nodded, took Mira by the shoulders, and guided her toward the steps that meandered their way to the top of the cliff.
I knelt down next to Sasha, praying she’d listen. “Kelly’s gone,” I said softly, my eyes filling with tears. “We have to go with Ethan.”
She just sat there, catatonic.
Ethan reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tranquilizer dart filled with dark blue liquid. “We don’t have time for this,” he said, and then he bent toward Sasha and pricked her arm with the tip of the dart.
She blinked a few times, and her expression relaxed.
“Sasha,” Ethan said calmly. “Go up the steps as quickly as you can, get into my car, and let me drive you to my house.”
She nodded, stood up, and hurried to the steps, taking them two at a time to make her way to the top of the cliff.
“What’d you do to her?” I asked.
“Complacent potion,” he said simply. “I’ll explain later.”
Before I could reply, he took my hand, and we scrambled up the steps to follow Sasha to the parking lot.
6
Gemma
“What the hell was that thing?” I said after jumping into the back seat of Ethan’s car.
Mom was also in the back, and a drugged-up Sasha sat between us. Mira had taken shotgun.
“A griffin,” Ethan said calmly. “One that was somehow possessed.”
“A what?”
“A sort of bird-lion hybrid,” he said. “But it shouldn’t have had red eyes. There was something wrong with it.”
“There was a lot wrong with it.” Mira’s voice rose in panic. “Like the fact that it shouldn’t exist.”
“Well, as you just saw, it does exist,” he said. “Welcome to the world of magic.”
Energy coursed through me. I was buzzing with it. Because while what had happened tonight was scary as hell, it also meant that what I’d always believed to be true was correct.
Magic existed.
I studied the center of my palm, where fire had burst out of it when I’d defended myself against that monster.
“Don’t use your magic,” Ethan snapped. “We can’t risk them tracking you down and attacking again.”
“Who’s ‘them?’”
“I’ll explain once we’re back at my house. But right now, I need to focus on getting us there as quickly as possible.”
He put the pedal to the metal as he sped down John Astor Road—the scenic drive that wound around Australia’s southern shoreline. I gripped the armrest to keep myself from sliding into Sasha.
None of us spoke during the drive. All I could do was replay the events in the cove in my mind. It had happened so quickly that it didn’t feel real.
The image of Kelly’s mangled body bleeding out in the sand would forever haunt me. And that red-eyed creature…
Ethan had saved our lives. And he had magic like mine.
How?
I’d hoped my life would be changed forever tonight, but never in my wildest dreams had I imagined it would happen like that.
We made it to Ethan’s house in just over twenty minutes. Although calling it a “house” would be a disservice. Because as he pulled into the long driveway, it was clear that it was most definitely a mansion. A modern, airy mansion with floor to ceiling windows, situated high enough on a hill that it had a killer view of the ocean.
We followed him inside, and the moment he opened the door, my mouth watered at the delicious smell of cooked meat.
“I hope you’re hungry,” he said. “Because Grandma Rose prepared dinner, and she always makes far too much for us to finish on our own.”
Mom walked by my side behind Ethan and Mira. She was calm given everything that had happened tonight, but Mom was always cool and collected, especially in times of crisis.
Sasha followed, not saying a word.
We entered the dining room, which had a banquet table in the center and huge windows that looked out to the ocean. A dark-haired woman stood with her back to us. She was putting the finishing touches on setting the table. A platter with slices of lamb, and another with a massive chicken, sat in the center of it. She carefully touched the rim of the plate and the handles of the utensils, as if feeling to make sure they were in place.
She spun around to face us, and I startled and stepped back. Because her cloudy, white eyes stared straight ahead.
She was blind.
Then she smiled, which brought her from creepy to friendly in less than a second. “Welcome,” she said, and she motioned to the table. Her voice was low and warm. “I’m Rosella. Please sit down and help yourselves. I’ve made more than enough for all of you.”
She’d set the table for six.
As if she’d known we were coming.
Had Ethan texted her when we left the cove?
“Don’t be shy,” she added. “I’m sure you have many questions. Ethan and I will explain everything while we dine.”
“Thank you.” I walked to the table and sat down. I was so hungry that my bones felt hollow, and I stared hungrily at the chicken as the others made themselves comfortable.
If I wasn’t concerned about table manners, I would have ripped the leg off that chicken and devoured it without bothering to use utensils.
My stomach rumbled—loudly—and I wrapped my arms around it.